Discuss how dance can be interpreted as a metaphor in Shall We Dance? Include the cultural ...

This charming social comedy centers on a 42-year-old accountant who
secretly takes up ballroom dancinga totally foreign concept in Japan where such a
hobby would be considered weird. In a society that makes a fetish of social
conformity, any act of individualism is likely to be viewed as ridiculous and
laughable. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down is a proverb that virtually
all Japanese schoolchildren learn when they're very young. Even as adults, they are
intensely afraid of appearing different.
Nonetheless, our stifled hero decides to take dancing lessons. He's so ashamed that he
doesn't even tell his wife. Besides, they hardly speak anymore, though they're
unfailingly polite. He feels that there's something pretentious about imitating
Western oddities, something unmanly about wanting to be graceful. Most Japanese
would agree that it's eccentric and showoffy to perform strange steps in front of other
people. Yet his daily grind lacks excitement and romance. He is virtually a stranger to
his family. And maybejust oncehe would like to stand out in a crowd. This shot
embodies his double life: Above the desk, he's a conscientious accountant, but down
below, he's practicing his dance steps.